Loose-leaf binder.



H. C. MILLER.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11. 1916.

Patented Nov. 27, 191?.

. To all whom it may concern:

HENRY C. MILLER, F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

' i feaaaiia.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented at... at, rare.

Application. filed April 11, 1916. Serial No. 90,304.

Be it known that ll, HENRY C. MILLEn, a citizen of the United States,and resident v of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact de scription thereof. j

The resent invention relates to new and useful improvements in looseleaf binders and is more particularly directed tothe provision of meansfor detachably securing the binder posts to the binder heads whereby theposts may be detached for the insertion or removal of leaves.

It is primarily the object of the present invention to provide a holdingbar arrangement for the detachable binder posts which is in itsoperative movements disposed Wholly within the binder head, and withwhich is associated suitable key controlled means whereby it may beactuated.

It is also an object to provide such an arrangement wherein a key memberupon its proper insertion in the said means adapts the bar to be movedand whereby turning of the key member procures operative movement of thebar to thus provide a ready and quick means for manipulatlng sald bar.

It is further an object to provide a means for locking the bar againstreleasing operation irrespective of the said key controlled meanswhereby the binder may be adapted to form a permanent record.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view; the inventionresides more particularly in the novel combination, arrangement andformation of parts more particularly hereinafter described and.particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In thedrawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through-a loose leaf binderhead constructed in accordance with the present invention,

this view being as indicated by the line 1-1 of Fig. 3.

F ig. 2 1s a similar sectional view taken von a plane disposed inwardlyof the plane po st engaging bolt portion of the other binder head.

Flg. 4 1s a fragmentary plan view of the outer face of one of the binderheads-showmg the key tumbler.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, each ofthe binder heads therein shown is similar in nature to provide for thedetachment of the posts from either head, and each comprises a bodyplate 5 hav ng one side edge portion bent laterally and inwardly at 6 toform a channel in which is slldably mounted the bolt bar 7 the outerportions of the free extremities of thls side edge portion being furtherbent inwardly at 8 to close the channel and thus provide a means forpositively guiding the bolt bar, and this closed channel end structure1S strengthened by tongues 9 struck inwardly from the body platethereagainst.

The outer side of the channel is cut away at spaced intervals to providesockets 10 for receiving the apertured ends of the flexible binder posts11; the bolt bar 7 adjacent these openings is cut away at 12, and boltsections 13 extend across these cut away portlons from correspondingends thereof, and are adapted to engage through the apertures-of thebinder posts when disposed in said recesses 10 to thus secure the binderposts, these bolt sections being of diderent lengths whereby they maysuccessively move into the recess upon actuation of the bar 7 tofacilitate the connection of the binder posts therewith inasmuch as thepartially projected end of one bolt section will hold the respectivebinder post, while the other binder post is being positioned in itsrecess.

The key controlled means for actuating the bolt bar 7 comprises atumbler block 14 riveted or otherwise secured as at 15 tothe inner faceof the bod plate 5 and having a portion projecting into a cut awayportlon 16 in the turned edge portion 6 of the plate. A tumbler 17 isrotatably mounted in this block and has its portion adjacent the boltbar 7 peripherally toothed to provlde a gear pinion 18 and this gearpinion meshes with a rack series ofgear teeth 19 formed in the bar. Thetumbler is provided with a key. receiving recess 20 which at the faceportion of the tumbler is substantially zlg-zag to correspond with thecross-section of a suitable keymember 22 and thus upon insertion of thekey member in the tumbler lld lldtl it may be readily turned and thusslide the bar to secure or detach the binder posts from the head.

To provide means for locking the ba against movement except when the keyis properly inserted in the tumbler, the block is provided with a bore23 extending transversely from the tumbler and slidable in this bore isa plunger 24, urged by a spring 25 in the outer portion of the bore toengage in an alining bore 26 formed in the tumbler. Also disposed in thebore 26 of the tumbler is a ball 27 which is held from movement into'thepassage 20 of the tumbler by restricting the inner end of the bore, andthe key 22' is provided in its respective side with a notch 28 adaptedto partially re ceive the ball and hold it in a position wherein theplunger 27 is in turn held flush with the inner end of the bore 23 ofthe block to thus permit rotation of the tumbler for consequent slidingmovement of the bolt bar. Inasmuch as the bores of the tumbler and blockare in alinement only when the bolt bar 7 is in its limit ofholdingmovement, the key cannot be withdrawn except in such position ofthe bar, and thus an incomplete operation of the device due tocarelessness or otherwise is guarded against. To facilitate positioningof the tumbler with its bore in proper alinement with the bore 23 of theblock, the inner face edge of the bolt bar 7 is provided with a V-shapednotch 29, and a wire spring 30 has its'ends secured to the body plate 5at thesides of the notch, when the bar is in its holding limit ofmovement, and the spring is intermediately pro vided with a seriesofcoils 31, resiliently urged into the notch, the resilient pressure ofthese coils being such that the tumbler through its gear engagement withthe bar is held .in said desired position.

That end of the bolt bar channel toward which the bar is moved in itsholding position is closed by a plug 33 and this plug serves alsotomaterially strengthen the adjacent plate portions forming the channel.The other end of the channel is normally open.

vMeans, however, are provided for closing this end of the channel endand for locking the bolt bar 7 in holding position, to thus preventreleasing manipulation thereof even through the medium of the key 22,this means comprising a staple member 33 adapted to be inserted in theend of the channel and, provided in the outer side of one leg a keycontrolled release means associated with both binder heads, it isobvious that the said locking means may be associated with only one ofthe binder heads and that suitable conventional means may be providedfor securing the flexible post members to the other binder head.

It is also obvious inasmuch as the essential feature of my presentinvention consists in providing a key controlled means for actuating thebolt bar wherein the turning of the key procures operative movement ofthe bar, that various embodiments of the invention other than theembodiment herein shown, may be employed without departing in any mannerfrom the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of a binder head, one or aplurality of detachable binder posts, a bolt bar slidable in the channelto engage the posts to secure them to the head, spring means for urgingthe bar to its limit 'of engaging movement with respect to the post, andmeans closing one end of the said channel for locking the. bolt bar inengaging position with respect to the posts.

2. In a loose leaf hinder the combination of a binder head, one or aplurality of detachable binder posts, a bolt-bar slidably carried by thehead for engaging said posts to secure them to the head, a tumbler blockcarried by the head, a tumbler rotatable in saidblock, and operativelyconnected. with the bolt bar for-moving it, the tumbler and block beingprovided with bores adapted to aline, a plunger mounted in the bore ofthe block and extensible into the bore of the tumbler, a key memberinsertible in the tumbler for retracting the lunger from the borethereof and for rotating the tumbler, and means resiliently urging thetumbler to a position wherein its bore alines with the bore of theblock.

3.- In a loose leaf binder the combination of a binder head, one or aplurality of detachable binder posts, a bolt-bar slidably carried by thehead for engaging said posts to secure them to the head, a tumblerblockcarried by the head, a tumbler rotatable in said block, andoperatively connected with the bolt bar for moving it,'the tumbler andblock being provided with bores adapted to aline, a plunger mounted inthe bore of the block and extensible into the bore of the tumbler, a keymember insertible in the tumbler for retracting the plunger from -thebore thereof and for rotating the tumbler, and a spring engaging thebolt-bar for urging it to a position wherein the tumbler is positionedwith-its bore in alinement with the bore of the block.

4. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of a binder head, one or aplurality of detachable binder posts, abolt-bar slidably carried by thehead for engaging said posts to secure them to the head, a tumbler blockcarried by the head, a tumbler rotatable in said block, and operativelyconnected with the bolt-bar for moving it, the tumbler and block beingprovided withbores adapted to aline, a plunger mounted in the bore ofthe block and extensible into the bore of the tumbler, a key memberinsertible in the tumbler for retracting the plunger from the borethereof and for. rotating the tumbler, the bolt being provided with aII-shaped notch and a spring secured to the binder head and having aportion bearing against the bar and engageable iusaid ll-shaped notch toprocure alinement of the bores of the block and tumbler.

5. In a loose leaf binder the combination of a binder head, one or aplurality ofdetachable binder posts, a bolt-bar slidably carried by thehead for engaging said posts to secure them to the head, a tumbler blockcarried by the head, a tumbler rotatably mountedin said block, andoperatively connected with the bolt-bar for moving it, the tumbler andblock being provided with bores adapted to aline, a plunger in the boreof the block, spring urged for engagement in the bore of the tumbler, aball in the bore of the tumbler and a key member insertible in thetumbler and provided with a notch adapted to receive the ball wherebythe ball may be held in a position holding the adjacent end of theplunger flush with the periphery of the tumbler to permit rotation ofthe tumbler by the key.

6. In a loose leaf binder the combination of a binder head provided witha channel,

one or a plurality of binder posts, a bolt bar slidable in the channeland adapted to engage said posts for securing them to the head, apermanent locking member insertible in the channel for hold ng the barin engaging position with respect to the posts, said member beingprovided with a recess and a tongue struck inwardly from the channel toengage in said recess.

7. A binder head comprising a flat plate having one side portion bentlaterally and inwardly to form an open channel, a block secured to theinner face of the plate, a gear wheel having its hub portion journaledin the block, a bolt bar slidable in the channel, teeth on the bolt barmeshing with the gear wheel and the hub of said gear wheel belngprovided with a key receiving openmg.

8. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of a binder head, one or aplurality of binder posts, a bolt bar carried by the head and movable toengage said posts for securing them to the head, key controlled meansfor procuring operative movement of the bar, and means for closing oneend of the binder head and operative independently of said keycontrolled means for locking the bolt bar in engaging position wlthrespect to the posts, substantially as described.

In testimony that I-claim the foregoing- I have hereunto set my hand atMilwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin.

HENRY G. WLLIJR.

